Silver Price Per Gram by Purity

Like gold, silver is priced in US dollars per troy ounce on international markets. A troy ounce equals 31.1035 grams. When silver is quoted at "$32 per ounce," that means $32 per troy ounce of pure .999 silver — which works out to about $1.03 per gram. For sterling silver (.925), the per-gram price is about 7.5% lower because of the copper alloy.

Understanding the per-gram price matters because most silver items — jewelry, flatware, small decorative pieces — are weighed in grams. When a dealer offers you a price per gram, you can compare it directly to the table above to see what percentage of melt value they're offering. A fair offer for sterling flatware is typically 80–85% of the sterling melt value per gram.

Sterling vs. Fine Silver

Fine silver (.999) is nearly pure — soft, bright white, and used primarily for bullion products. Sterling silver (.925) is alloyed with copper to make it harder and more durable for everyday items. The price difference per gram is proportional to the purity: sterling is worth 92.5% of fine silver. When evaluating an item, always check for hallmarks — "925" or "Sterling" means sterling, while ".999" or "Fine Silver" means pure. Unmarked items may be silver plate (worthless for melt) or a non-standard alloy that requires testing.

Why Per-Gram Price Matters for Small Items

Silver is much less valuable per gram than gold, so small items don't add up as quickly. A sterling silver ring weighing 5 grams might be worth only $4–5 at melt. But a full set of sterling flatware (12 place settings) can weigh 1,500–2,500 grams and be worth $1,400–$2,400 or more. Serving pieces — ladles, serving forks, platters — often add significant weight. Always weigh everything before getting a quote.

Silver Bars, Coins and Bullion: Price Per Gram vs. Spot

The prices on this page are melt values at the silver spot price. Pure silver is $1.57 per gram at spot right now. Silver bars, coins and rounds sell for more than that, because dealers add a premium for minting, shipping and their margin. On silver that premium is a bigger share of the price than on gold, so small pieces cost noticeably more per gram than spot.

A 1 ounce American Silver Eagle or Canadian Maple Leaf holds a full troy ounce (31.1 grams) of fine silver. A 10 ounce or 100 ounce silver bar sells closer to spot per gram. When you sell, dealers usually pay a little under spot for bullion, and US dimes, quarters and half dollars minted before 1965 (90% silver) trade on their silver content. Check those on the US silver coin melt values page.

What Moves the Silver Spot Price

Silver prices come from futures trading on COMEX in New York and the LBMA silver price set each day in London. Spot silver trades almost around the clock from Sunday evening to Friday afternoon (US time), so the price per gram moves all day. Industry uses a large share of the world's silver in solar panels and electronics, which makes the silver market swing harder than gold. The US dollar, interest rates and investor buying of silver bullion move it too. See how the same forces hit platinum per gram and gold per gram.

Common Silver Item Weights

A sterling silver teaspoon weighs about 25–35 grams. A dinner fork is 35–50 grams. A tablespoon or serving spoon can be 50–70 grams. A butter knife is 30–45 grams (but the blade is usually stainless steel — only the handle is silver). A small silver bracelet might be 10–20 grams. A heavy chain necklace can be 30–60 grams. Knowing these ranges helps you estimate value before weighing.

For a full melt value calculation with any weight and purity, use our scrap silver calculator. For coin-by-coin values, see US silver coin melt values. Or return to the melt value calculator homepage.